History

Founded in 1946, in Greensboro, NC Guilford was primarily a fabric knitter and supplier to the lingerie trade until 1963, when we opened our first finishing plant. Under the leadership of legendary textile executive Charles (Chuck) Hayes, Guilford experienced substantial growth as a vertically integrated textile company.

With products in markets ranging from automotive to home fashions and apparel, Guilford was an industry giant by the 1980s, becoming the world’s largest warp knitter. After a period of restructuring focusing on high-value technical textiles for the world market, In 2012, Guilford joined the Lear Corporation, a leading automotive seating manufacturer as part of a strategic acquisition.

Today we supply the leading OEMs in some of the most demanding applications in the world with fabrics and composites. Our global manufacturing footprint includes world-class facilities in North America, Europe and Asia enabling us to support our customers around the globe.